2018 Dakar Rally: Stage 9 is cancelled due to floods and thunderstorm

The Stage 9 of the 2018 Dakar Rally, planned to take place between Tupiza (Bolivia) and Salta (Argentina) is cancelled due to bad weather conditions. Service teams already had problems on Sunday because the bivouac in Tupiza was flooded due to heavy rainfalls.

All service vehicles had to leave the yard or were no longer allowed to drive on it. The authorities then closed off the road next to the bivouac. There, the teams were lined up and built up their service park in the area.

Even for Dakar competitors, there is sometimes too much water on a route

Due to further rainfalls and thunderstorms, the ASO, the organizer of the Dakar Rally, cancelled Monday’s ninth stage to Salta, which was planned to have 242 km of timed section and 513 km of link section.

“The situation is complicated on the bivouac and along the route of the special, there is a risk of flooding and thunderstorm. We’re going to lose a day, but the race has a good dynamics. We don’t want to take any risks,” said Marc Coma, a race director.

For Tuesday, the stage between Salta and Belen is scheduled, with 424 km of link section and 373 km of timed section.